Red Eyes, Black Hearts
by Naomi DC
Summary: Shinigami Megumi is given an assignment that takes her back in time to 1889. Her mission: Kill Ciel Phantomhive. During her stay in 19th century England, she meets and befriends a demon named Almira, and together they work to off the young demon earl. However, things become complicated as emotions rise between Almira and Sebastian and even between Ciel and Megumi.
1. A New Mission

**Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading, I'm co-writing this story with a friend of mine but she doesn't have an account on FF so I'll be posting our chapters here. Please review and let us know what you like or dislike about our story, we'd love to hear from you. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji.**

Chapter One: A New Mission

2013

Megumi Ichigo walked down the sidewalks of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan with music flowing into her ears. Her knee-length, chestnut brown hair and her black miniskirt swayed gently with her movement. Well, maybe "miniskirt" was the wrong word considering the fact that it didn't fit that way on her since she was shorter than most people. She was on her way to her "office" to pick up a mission – one that was only for a shinigami to complete.

The bespectacled brunette was only allowed to become a shinigami because she was seen to have potential. After her parents were murdered by a madman and her brother committed suicide, she had felt that there was no reason for her to continue living until Lucidum Borealis, the one that gave her assignments, accosted her with a job offering. "Come work for me. You have an ability that may be useful, despite the fact that you're human. Perhaps you'll be worth my time," he had said to her years ago, when she was about 10 years old. She easily agreed; there was nothing tying her to the world anymore and she was eager to have a purpose. As part of an initiation ceremony, Lucidum had touched her chest and pulled out a long, black scythe with a strange aura emanating from it. "This is your scythe. You will use it to destroy demons and the living dead who have extended their welcome on the earth. It will protect you as well but it is only as strong as your will to survive. Do you understand?" The young Megumi had simply nodded in reply to the cloaked man before taking the weapon into her hands and, from that day on, she worked secretly as a shinigami in Japan. It was only recently that she found her deceased brother, Sakujo, as one of the living dead. He was only spared her scythe because of their previous relationship and he was charged with the role of being her meat shield on her missions.

Megumi was brought out of her memories by the sound of a conductor's whistle and realized that she had yet to board her train. She quickly made her way to her seat and breathed out a sigh of relief at having made it on time. This train would take her to the prefecture where the shinigami office was. As it began moving, the scenery started rolling along by her like one of the conveyor belt settings that are depicted in old cartoons. Eventually she tired of staring out the window and closed her eyes as she contemplated the nature of her upcoming mission. The ones she had been given to date weren't exactly easy but she was still confident that she could fight anything. In that spirit, Megumi had no worry about the mission she would be given today. Even though she wasn't necessarily worried about the requirements of her upcoming mission, she was worried about the handful of friends she had managed to gain over the years. She was told in the short message she received the night before that her brother wouldn't be allowed to come along, so she was about worried about him being by himself for the duration of her mission. They were very rarely apart these days. Her secret admirer – well, secret to her brother, not to her – didn't know what she was or what she did as a profession, but that didn't stop him from worrying whenever she said that she had some "issues" to take care of. He just thought that they were emotional or mental issues stemming from her past that would lead her to harm herself. In reality, she was both emotionally and mentally stable. She just needed an excuse to not contact him for a while during her shinigami missions.

When the train arrived at the station, she got off and walked down the block to the office. As she entered, Lucidum – called Ruru by the girl – started walking with her. His face was covered by the red tips of his black hair as he stared down at a file in his hands. "We have a problem. We're getting demonic readings from England; however, there have been no demons in England since 1890. We don't really know why this is occurring, but we're sure that it isn't a false alarm. Over 100 humans have died in the past few weeks, all in that same area, and the shinigami in the human department have informed us that none of them still had their souls once they got there," he said as he looked up at her and handed her the file which showed the spread of the demonic readings as well as the killings on several different types of maps. He referred to himself as "we" since his hat, Goro, could speak and think for itself when it was awake. It seemed to be asleep at the moment. "That being said, trying to investigate whether demons are present or not in this time is kind of pointless. So, we're going to have to send you back in time to the middle of 1889. That should give you ample time to find out what happened to the demons and what might be causing these readings in our time." Megumi removed her earbuds and nodded, her face taking on a serious expression as she realized the magnitude of this mission and how important the intelligence she needed to gain would be.

Lucidum gravely walked into an empty room and waited for her to enter before bolting the door shut. "Now, just wait a few minutes for us to prepare the portal." While Lucidum conjured up his magic, Megumi continued to look over the file. Under the maps, it contained a report summarizing the information that the shinigami had on all the demons that had ever lived in England. There most recent showed an old photograph of a young boy that appeared to be fourteen years old with smoky blue hair and mysterious red eyes. An eye patch was over the right eye. The name written in a medical report that had seen better days was Ciel Phantomhive. It sounded familiar. Then she remembered—there used to be a toy company back in nineteenth century. The parents of the boy that ran the company had perished in a blazing inferno, but that was all that was ever said of the matter. What was the name?

"This is…the boy that ran the Funtom Toy Company," Megumi said aloud.

"It is. We believe that his demonic energy is what we're picking up, but he has long disappeared. If he were still in England today, we wouldn't have to send you back in time to investigate him. If he is at fault, you are to kill him immediately on the charge of overhunting the human race in a certain area," Lucidum said as he finished creating the misty lines of magic on the floor that would allow him to open the gateway to another time and place. "Preparations are complete."

Megumi looked warily at the man as he stood and dusted off his hands. "I have a way of getting back, right?"

"But of course." He reached into one of his coat's pockets and pulled out a small pink potion which he handed to her. "There's a retired shinigami where you're going. He works as an undertaker now and he has a shop of the same name in downtown London. Give him this potion and he'll be able to create a similar portal that will bring you back to the present."

Megumi took the potion and put it in her pocket before bracing herself, unsure of how her travel would go. Her boss chanted some sort of spell and slammed his hands on the cleared out floor, opening a portal that glowed red. It looked very much like a black hole and instantly made the girl apprehensive. "Are these things safe?"

"Most of the time, yes. There have only been ten incidents in which shinigami going through them were ripped to pieces, but that's only like a…28% chance against a 72% chance of making it in two pieces or less," Lucidum replied in a bored tone with a shrug.

"Like hell I'm going in that thing!" Megumi protested.

"You don't have a choice," Lucidum said, flashing her a fake smile before pushing her into it.

As Megumi fell through the time-space continuum, she gripped her head. The speed was going to make her head explode, but all she could do was hope that she would reach her destination before that happened. Then, just like that, she dropped right onto the busiest street in London of nineteenth-century England. She tried to regain her bearings, but the force of the time travel and the sudden drop onto cobblestone had completely drained her body of energy. "Lucidum…you nearly got me killed!" she quietly raged. She pushed herself up using the wall next to her and then fell right back down. It was like she had the worst case of jetlag anyone could have.

_This is really bad. The trip took so much out of me that I can't even stand up. On top of that, my clothes are attracting attention. It won't be long until some of the guys on the street start asking for some favors. I've got to get somewhere…where I can rest…_

"'at's a real sweetheart right 'ere," a tubby man that smelled of urine and beer smirked as he walked up to her. "Just dropped out of the sky, she did."

"Yeah, she'd sell for a lot wit' 'em 'endowments' of 'ers," a lanky one snickered from behind him.

Megumi could feel their eyes seeing right into her soul. She tried to get up again, failing just as before. "Maybe I could let one of them take me and then, when they pull me up, I could just fight them off," she murmured to herself.

All of a sudden she started getting sleepy. And just when she finally dozed off, she felt the soft hand of a woman on her face. A blur of black stared at her. Then everything went black.

* * *

1889

No matter how long she stayed in this town, Almira Castal would never cease to be surprised by the numerous amounts of nooks and crannies London contained. The streets of her hometown, Madrid, were never so complex, at least not to her. Almira's driver walked a few steps behind her as she explored the town she had chosen to make her new home, as she had been doing for the last few weeks since she moved to England after her year-long sojourn to the jungles of Asia. None of the people she passed came even close to tempting her as she walked. She was filled to the brim with souls, since the Asian region had plentiful knowledge of demons and the contracts they made with peasants and rulers alike, so hunger was the last thing on her mind. The same couldn't be said about the men and even some of the women who passed by her. They were more than tempted by her refined Spanish features, well-endowed physique, and elegant air. She noticed none of them, however, as she was far from being enticed by a human. Her heart had already been captured once and it was by a man of supernatural quality; he ruined her for any mortal.

All of these thoughts were pushed aside as she noticed of a strange surge of power nearby. Her sapphire blue eyes flashed red at the thought of the possible danger that much power posed to her. This could mean an end to her boredom so it also meant a change of route to investigate. Her heels clicked loudly as she ran down the cobbled streets of London, her driver left far behind as she searched every passageway for the source of the power surge. As she turned the corner into a narrow alley of some sort, she found a small brunette woman with barely anything on being leered at by two disgusting-looking human men. _This is the source of the power? She's barely even awake!_ It was right after that last thought that she caught that the hefty man was speaking. "Let's see just 'ow good them endowments are. Take off them little bits 'a cloth she got on so we can get a good look, Clyde."

Despite her usual coldness toward most people, Almira instantly felt an odd protective instinct come over a second thought, she walked over to the men with a plan quickly forming in her mind for how she'd save the small brunette. The sound of her walking on the stone of the street drew their attention to her, and the tightness of her blood red dress kept it there."Why, hello gentlemen. May I ask what you are doing here with this young lady?" Her eyes flashed red once more, even though her lips spread into an innocent smile as she played with a lock of her midnight black hair.

The fat one with stains all over his shirt and a rank odor gave his thin friend a sly grin before answering, "Oh we were just goin' to 'ave some fun wit' 'er. Maybe you'd like to join the party?" Almira let out a small chuckle and knelt down in front of the woman; a black mist began to gather around her as she changed into her demon form. The demon caressed the woman's cheek and pushed a bit of power into the little one so her body would overload and she'd pass out. As Almira stood up and faced the men in her complete demon form, she addressed them with a voice that was gravelly and dark instead of sickly sweet like it was before. "I am a big fan of fun. Perhaps you know the game I like to play. It's called, 'Leave Here Now or You Die'. Doesn't that sound just delightful?" Her ruby eyes glowed menacingly as the black mist parted a bit to show horrifyingly disfigured body parts and large black blades. She didn't make it to the last sentence before the two men scurried off in fear.

With one more glare in her direction, the mist wrapped around Almira and she changed back into her human form so she could take care of the girl properly. Knowing that the she'd be passed out for a few more hours, the demon picked her up bridal-style and took her back to the carriage waiting a few miles back where the driver was told to take it if he ever got left behind. "Back to the manor William. We have a guest." He nodded and allowed his mistress to enter the carriage with her guest before flicking the reins, leading the horses on their way out of town. Inside, Almira was gently brushing the girl's hair out of her face while checking for wounds. _Her clothes are odd…is she truly the one holding that immense power? If so, she could end up being interesting after all._Once the carriage arrived at the Castal estate, Almira brought her new guest to a bedroom and lied the brunette down on the bed to rest. For several hours after that, the young demon sat in the chair beside her guest bed reading a short novel as she waited for the woman to wake up. Well, she was pretending to read while she thought about what to do with the girl once the body system overload wore off. _I need information. Where did she come from? Who sent her? Why did she come? _Just as that thought entered her head, Almira heard some movement coming from the bed. _Ah, it looks like my little guest has finally awoken. Maybe I'll finally get some answers._ She closed her book and stood in the corner of the room, partially shielded in shadow, as the girl woke up and attempted to gain her bearings.

"Okay. So I fell asleep in an alley in London after a blur of black – probably a demon, now that I think of it – appeared. Now I'm in a bed. What the hell happened…" The woman murmured as she sat up and began looking around the demon blinked in surprise._ So she knows of my kind. Well that just made her significantly more intriguing._

"I happened." Almira stepped forward into the light. "Apparently those men didn't like my type of fun so they left. I brought you back here to my manor since I had some questions for you and because you wouldn't have been safe by yourself in London once it got dark, especially in those clothes." She sat on the edge of the bed and looked directly at the woman as she waited for a response.

The woman sighed, pushing her glasses up with one finger before taking a moment to think. "I suppose you're the black blur I saw before I passed out?" The demon smirked and nodded.

"No need to call me a black blur; my name is Almira Castal. Though, we both know _what_ I am, correct? Your mumblings proved that much." The woman appeared a bit peeved at her apparent mistake, but agreed nonetheless.

"Yes, you are a demon. Which begs the question, why did you save me? Aren't you guys big on the whole soul-eating thing? I'm pretty sure I was an easy target while sitting passed out on the street." Almira frowned a bit as she contemplated the question. This girl didn't need to know why she sought distractions from her boredom and the girl _really_ didn't need to know about that weird protective feeling she got. She couldn't lie though, humans alone had that ability, so she'd have to tell some of the truth.

"Well you were interesting. I couldn't just leave you there without figuring you out. I sensed a surge of power in the area and then there you were, looking completely out of place in these short clothes you're wearing. There's something different about you and, to be perfectly honest…" Her voice became tinged with a threat as her eyes began to glow slightly. "I'm not letting you leave until you tell me what it is."


	2. The Shinigami and the Demon

**Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading, I'm co-writing this story with a friend of mine but she doesn't have an account on FF so I'll be posting our chapters here. Please review and let us know what you like or dislike about our story, we'd love to hear from you. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji.**

Chapter Two: The Shinigami and the Demon

Megumi knew she had messed everything up. Her objective was to investigate (and possibly kill) this Ciel Phantomhive and erase the demonic energy in her time, but she got herself caught by a completely different demon instead. The Spanish woman looking at her with a playful yet destructive eye was ready to kill her, and she was nowhere close to being absolutely recovered. That being said, if she complied and told her who she was and what she was doing there, there was a good chance her savior still would kill her. Before she opened her mouth to answer one of Almira's questions, Megumi's attention was grabbed by the silky sheets draped on her. Something was terribly wrong, and she had to investigate. When she looked under the covers, she found that her clothes seemed like they were burning away. She couldn't believe what she was seeing! Her skirt and blouse were gone in minutes, and when the burning started on her undergarments and her thigh-highs, she remembered something from a film she had seen. Clothes apparently could not withstand the passage through time so Megumi sat up and wrapped the sheet tightly around her so that every inch of her body under her neck was covered in a wine color (for, despite wearing such revealing clothes, she was actually very modest). "I'll answer your questions from the most frivolous to the most practical. How about that?" she offered in a somewhat embarrassed voice. "You commented on my short clothes. Well, I made them myself, you see. I-I'd gotten a fabulous idea to make the clothes I'm…wearing…and decided to make them!" She let out a nervous giggle.

"You're lying," Almira sharply said with an eye roll. "Lying quite badly at that."

"Damn…you really can't fool a demon. Well, before I answer anymore of your questions, answer one of mine: how do I know you won't kill me upon telling you my story?"

"Because I find you interesting. You'll provide me with some distraction for the time being, which is something I desperately need at the moment. Plus, there's no reason to kill you. I'm full on souls since I just came from an area with increased awareness of my kind and the way we feed."

Megumi was apprehensive. She still couldn't trust the demon, but if she wanted to get anywhere in her mission, she had to comply. She hated it with all of her being; working with such a monster was something she never imagined considering her profession. "Alright next question…"

Almira tapped her lips lightly with her finger as she contemplated which question she wanted answered next. "Where are you from?"

"Japan. More specifically, Shibuya."Almira probably had no idea where Shibuya was, even though she had just been through all of Asia. Japan was still in its Edo period, so the bustling shopping district that existed in Megumi's time was nothing but an idea.

"Okay then, who sent you?" The demon narrowed her eyes slightly, looking for a lie in the Megumi's features as she responded.

"Shinigami boss Lucidum Borealis." Almira seemed a little irritated at the curt answer, but that was all she needed to know Megumi's occupation and how she knew about demons.

"I'm going to assume that this 'Lucidum' used magic to send you here. Japan is quite a way from England, or could it be you're not from this time period?"

"You're persistent. Well, you saw my clothes. I'm from the future—the 21st century to be exact, which is why you most likely don't know what Shibuya is. Anything else?" Megumi huffed in exasperation – she wished this conversation was over already so she could get some clothes!

"One more question: why are you here? A woman doesn't simply jump back 200 years into the past just for shits and giggles. You're a shinigami, so why would you bother coming here? Why would Lucidum send you here? I'm sure there are souls to reap in the future."

Megumi now had to be careful. Demons worked together, or at least she thought. If she told her about her mission, who she go find Ciel and warn him? It was the only thing she could do, though. She reluctantly said, "I'm here to investigate a demon named Ciel Phantomhive. He apparently disappeared in the near-future and left his energy in his stead. That energy is messing with our readings on demon activity."

"I've never heard of a Ciel Phantomhive. Then again, it's not like I interact with many people. In any case, why exactly are you looking for a demon when shinigami are supposed to reap the souls of humans?" Almira's blue eyes met the shinigami's with curiosity.

"We're just a different department that developed. In my time, humans are more desperate than ever to have their wishes granted and many don't believe they even have a soul so they are often willing to give it up to a demon. This has caused demons to go into a frenzy and they have started to become too conspicuous and malicious in their activity. It is our job to seek these demons out and destroy them. We also work with the living dead, but that isn't relevant at the moment." There was a silence between the two women for a few minutes as the demon contemplated this sort of future. Eventually, Megumi couldn't take it anymore. "Um, I'm sorry to ask but…where can I find some…time-appropriate clothes? Mine kind of…burned away. Time travel is pretty rough on cotton."

Almira laughed and stood up. "That explains why you've wrapped yourself up in my sheets," she said with a slightly amused expression still on her face. "Come shinigami, I'll let you borrow one of my dresses so we can go shopping and get you one for yourself. It looks like you'll be staying for a while so I'll allow you to be my guest for the duration of your mission."Almira disappeared into her dressing room, where she called for Megumi again by her profession. "My name is Megumi," she shouted back at the demon. She made her way to the dressing room with the sheet still wrapped around her like a gown, even though it was slippery and a hassle when she actually tried to walk in it.

The Spaniard hummed softly as she looked through her dressing room's closets, trying to find something that would suit Megumi and also trying to make sense of the new information she gathered. Her thinking was interrupted by the perfect dress coming into view. It was a more dramatic one that she bought on a whim; it was a delicate sage green color with a gray outer corset and a large black bow in the middle. It had crisscrossing, black strips over the skirt and black petticoats underneath. Most women would shun the idea of such a bold outfit, but it suited Megumi's style perfectly (at least in Almira's opinion). The demon grabbed the dress and the suitable undergarments before bringing them to Megumi who was still wrapped in a sheet on the other side of the room. "I'll call my maid Danielle to help you with dressing. Meet me downstairs once you're done." Almira gave a sadistic chuckle at the thought of this delicate young woman putting on a corset for the first time before leaving and shutting the door behind her.

About 30 minutes later, Megumi was groaning in discomfort but ultimately pleased with her attire as she headed downstairs and out to the carriage she arrived in. Almira was waiting there and the two women then made their way back to the streets and toward the closest dress shop. "So, how long do you think your assignment will take? I need to know how many clothes to get you." The demon looked toward the shinigami with a quiet curiosity. Megumi thought about it for a moment and figured that it'd take her only a few weeks to track down Phantomhive.

"A month at the most. I usually get done with assignments fairly quickly so I'll be out of your hair and back to my time soon enough." Megumi shrugged and looked at the windows of the stores they were passing by, trying to avoid further conversation. Almira allowed this and stepped out of her carriage once they stopped in front of her favorite dress shop—Elegante. It was run by an elderly woman who was from Northern Spain, the same area where Almira grew up, and her clothes were an excellent blend of the English and Spanish styles. She also didn't ask a lot of questions, which was great for both the demon and the shinigami. Upon reaching the entrance of the shop, both ladies went inside and greeted the shopkeeper kindly before circling the store to look at the dresses on display.

* * *

Almira started looking through the hung fabric for a few seconds before she realized that she had no clue what to look for. "Okay, what colors do you usually like to wear? I'd rather you have clothes you don't hate and we can't get you only sage dresses, now can we?"

Megumi nodded and continued to peruse the dresses on her side as she replied, "Well I enjoy black and white, but those are neutrals and I can't wear that all the time. So, as far as actual colors, I like lavender, wine, light blue, pink, and soft yellow. That's about it." Almira smiled at the options given and began searching with a new fervor, tossing dresses at the assistant that had been following them around until she had her arms full.

"Okay, now go try them on and tell me which you'd like to keep. I have enough money to buy the whole store so don't worry about that when making your choices. I shall wait out here." The demon gave a small shooing motion to Megumi before sitting down in the shop window seat to await the shinigami's return. As she was looking through the clear glass at the passerby, she noticed a tall man with dark hair that made her heart stop in her chest. He turned slightly so she was able to see his profile and at that moment all she could see was her Jaime from long ago, smiling at her and telling her to keep up as he walked ahead. She pressed against the glass in a ridiculous attempt to see more of the man. She needed to see his entire face, to see if he could possibly be who she thought he was…

Megumi was just stepping out of the dressing room to show off her first choice when Almira grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the store with a quick explanation to the shopkeeper that they would return. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where are we going?! You didn't even let me take off my dress! Why are we rushing?!" Megumi raced to keep up with the speeding woman in front of her, in hopes of eventually figuring out why they were running through the streets of London.

"I'll explain later! I just have to see…" Almira pushed through the crowd, dragging Megumi behind her, as she craned to catch a glimpse of the dark-haired man once more. After several minutes, she stopped and sighed in disappointment at having lost him. Just as she turned to explain to Megumi, she gave a soft yelp as she bumped into the same man she had been following.

"Excuse me, miss. My master would like to know why you were following us so intently. He is quite the precautious one and very suspicious of possible threats to his safety, as am I—his faithful servant." The man's eyes flashed red in warning and Almira came to the startling realization that he was also a demon. Such a coincidence…

"My deepest apologies, sir. You simply looked like a man I knew a long time ago and I wanted to know if you could possibly be him. It was silly, I grant you, but a sort of desperation came over me." Almira blushed lightly and looked down, which allowed her to finally notice the small young man standing behind the dark haired demon. He looked to be only a teenager, with an eye patch over his right eye and a somber demeanor that hinted at something wicked. Megumi noticed him as well and gasped as she realized that this was Ciel Phantomhive, the boy from the picture and the exact demon she was looking for.

The young lord scoffed and commented from behind his butler. "Interesting. Since you have interrupted my daily walk with your 'desperation', I would entreat you to come back with me to the manor and tell me more about yourselves. I could use the entertainment." The young lord stated all of this with the utmost boredom and superiority that only came from the noble. Megumi nudged Almira slightly and gave a small nod, indicating that she should follow the suggestion given by the little demon boy.

Almira glanced back at the boy's servant and decided that there would be nothing to lose by spending more time with him and finding out if he had any relation to the man she really wanted to see. "I would love to do so, my lord, but I must return to the dress shop and pay for our items. Perhaps your servant could accompany me to the shop and then escort me back here while my friend stays with you? That way you can ensure that neither of us run off." The young boy shrugged and nodded.

"Very well then. Sebastian, I order you to follow this woman back to the shop and bring her back here once she has finished her business. Have I made myself clear?" The butler gave a small bow with his hand over his heart.

"Yes, my lord."


	3. The Noble and his Servant

**Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading, I'm co-writing this story with a friend of mine but she doesn't have an account on FF so I'll be posting our chapters here. Please review and let us know what you like or dislike about our story, we'd love to hear from you. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji.**

Chapter Three: The Noble and his Servant

After Almira had gone with the black-clothed butler, Megumi was left alone with Ciel. She kept watch of him in her peripheral vision. If she were to constantly stare at him, he would definitely know that something was amiss.

_To think this kid is the one blowing out that energy. It's unreal! Aside from that, he has a real pompous attitude. If I were this kid's mom, I'd give him a good slap on the face for acting so high-and-mighty! A kid his age should know to respect elders…the way he gives his servant orders like that. It makes me sick._

"What the hell is taking those two so long?" Megumi asked, clearly agitated by her own thought process. She crossed her arms under her breasts and pouted. Her manner of standing was comical enough to pry a question out of Ciel. She caught him looking irately at her with his one uncovered eye.

"Where does a lady learn to talk like a brute? Then again, you, yourself, are hardly a lady," he said. His voice held a snobbish tone as he said this, inwardly infuriating Megumi to no end. How could she not be a lady? True, she didn't have the elegant finesse that her demoness companion had nor the flowery vocabulary of the nobility, but she was still ladylike…to an extent. She glared at the boy icily as her inner rant continued. While her job as a shinigami prohibited excessive torture of the target, she had developed a way that gave her the freedom to elicit the utmost amount of pain from her victims. She pulled the little brat into her mental torture chamber where all sorts of sadistic contraptions had been imagined up from wheels to a Judas's Cradle. Here she could get revenge for the demeaning remark, but even before she could start her processes, something peculiar happened.

"You're quite the violent one, aren't you," the boy said. "I'm quite surprised you know of these mechanisms. Why, there's even a Brazen Bull in your mind!"

Megumi remained speechless. Her mind was being read by her target. This proved a problem, and a dire one at that. But she had to play it safe so as not to fail her mission. "And you're quite the clairvoyant, aren't you," she retaliated. She had to keep up her defenses.

"You're becoming less lady-like by the minute. Perhaps Elizabeth could teach you a thing or two, if I still saw her." The small argument stopped; Ciel was becoming frustrated with the amount of time the demons were taking. "Where in Sam Hill is Sebastian?" he questioned the cobblestone streets of London.

"So that's his name…then again, it should've been obvious. Every servant in England is named Sebastian."

"What in blazes are you talking about? I said his name earlier!"

"How about you calm down a little bit? Jesus, you're an annoying brat!"

"A brat?! I'll have you know I am a member of the nobility! You have no right to talk to me like that!"

"And you have no right to treat me like some rotten piece of garbage!"

"I'm not treating you like rubbish…garbage sounds so barbaric! Why can't you speak normal English?!"

"Well maybe I'm not English, baka!"

"What does that even mean?!"

"Children?" a silky deep voice sounded from down the street. It was Sebastian, who seemed to be mildly amused at the petty scene being performed before him and Almira. "Are we having a little spat over some toy?"

Ciel and Megumi glared at Sebastian—Ciel had no reason to fear him, and Megumi…well, she just didn't give a fuck. She was a shinigami, after all.

* * *

Almira sighed as she watched the interaction between the three. "Megumi, is it impossible for you to behave? We were only gone for about 20 minutes and you're already starting spats with the little earl."

"But he started it! And I was just defending myself…theoretically…" The brunette shuffled her feet and looked down as the end of her sentence trailed off. There was really no reason for her to be acting so childishly, especially while she was on the job.

"You should really start controlling your friend, honestly. Perhaps you should keep her home until she learns how to be a true lady." Ciel looked at his nails distractedly as he made these suggestions.

The Spanish woman gaped at the young man incredulously. He was honestly trying to give her advice as if he were superior in intellect? Just as she was about to retort, Sebastian stepped in between them. "Master, we really should be getting back to the manor. It's not a good idea for you to be out in town for very long. You could be noticed." Ciel nodded in agreement and began walking toward his carriage without a second glance at the three people behind him. "Ladies, if you would follow my master, we will be in the carriage and on our way in no time, I assure you."

Both the demon and the shinigami shared a glance and sighed before following the little brat into his black carriage. The hour long ride back to the manor was awkward and silent, with the two women staring at the demon earl as he stared out the window. No one really knew what to say and no one truly wanted to say anything. When Sebastian called out that they would be at the manor within five minutes, everyone felt a flood of relief at the thought of being able to escape the enclosed space that made them all so uncomfortable.

Sebastian opened the door and helped each of the three out of the carriage before speeding over to the door of the manor and holding it open for everyone. "If you would please follow me to the drawing room, you all can be seated and then I shall bring some tea for our guests. My master has recently lost his taste for tea, unfortunately, but now it shall not go to waste."

Almira shuddered at the idea of human drinks. "Oh enough with the appearances! The girl knows of demons. You can get her refreshments but count me out." The butler looked slightly stunned before regaining his composure and nodding.

"Do you have green tea?" Megumi asked bluntly.

"Of course. We have the finest green tea imported from Japan. I am sure it will be to your liking." The shinigami nodded her approval so Sebastian bowed and walked off, closing the door behind him. Ciel looked up from the floor as Sebastian left and appeared to be deciding which woman to question.

"So, what do you want? We're not trying to be here all day." Megumi asked with irritation as she slouched a bit in her seat.

Ciel glared at her with red eyes before turning to Almira. "You seem to be the sensible one. I'll start with you. You said earlier that my butler looked like someone you used to know and that was what caused to you to follow us. Who might that person be? They must have been pretty important in your life for you to throw decorum out the window like that just to catch a glimpse of them again."

Almira contemplated whether or not she wanted to divulge this information; she had kept it within her for so long and she wasn't sure if she wanted to share such precious memories with an obnoxious little boy. As she was attempting to decide, Sebastian walked back in with the tea and some small snacks for the human girl. "Here you are madam; I hope everything is to your liking. Along with the drink you requested, I have prepared some calamari as a snack." Megumi looked at the calamari, her stomach grumbling madly for the fried squid to be in her stomach. She snagged a few pieces of calamari with her gloved fingers, savoring the flavor of the squid and remembered eating it with her family as a young child.

Ciel became impatient. "Well come on now, I'm waiting Miss Castal. Who did you think my butler was when you first saw him?"

Almira's eyes flashed red as she glared at the child before responding. "He looked like a lover of mine from long ago. His name was Jaime. Jaime Martirio." Almira sighed and looked to Sebastian. Her accent became more pronounced as she traveled back into the past – into her memories with her lover. "Jaime was tall and dark-haired, just like you. He had the pale skin of a demon, but the dark eyes of a Spanish man. He always wore dark clothes as well; he used to say that the day and all of the brightness that goes with it was no longer his to wear. From the back and side, you could be his twin, Sebastian." She gave him a soft smile before turning back to Ciel. "I would have given him my soul, if he ever asked it of me. I loved him with every ounce of my being. But, after only a few years of happiness together, he was taken from me by a powerful demon who had gone insane after losing his mate by my lover's hand long before we met. He was murdered right before my eyes. The thought of seeing him just one more time is what made me chase after you and your butler. Is that answer sufficient enough for you, little earl?"

Ciel scoffed and stood from his seat, walking to the fireplace and gazing into the embers that lay within it. "It seems that even as a demon, females will always be weaker than males. You lost your sense of propriety over something so silly? Your lover is dead! There is no possible way you could ever see him again! What would make you chase something impossible? Once you lose something, you can never get it back. No matter how long you chase."

The demon almost leaped across the room to strangle the boy in rage, but was prevented by a tall figure standing in her way. "Please forgive my master. He seems to forget that some people have not completely disassociated themselves from their emotions."

Almira huffed and sat back down, crossing her arms. Megumi leaned over to pat her shoulder lightly in silent encouragement. She understood how annoying the boy was and how hard it was not to strangle him. Almira gave the shinigami a small smile of gratitude before turning back to the earl who had just returned to his seat. "Lord Phantomhive, from this point forward you need to speak to me only with the utmost respect. I am far older than you and I am of the nobility, just as you are. Push me any further and I will show you that women can be far stronger than men when given the opportunity." He simply rolled his eyes and crossed his legs, resting his head on his elbow. Almira looked toward Megumi with a raised eyebrow, as if trying to confirm whether that actually just happened.

"Yes, yes, whatever. Sebastian, bring me my paperwork, would you?" His last request was punctuated with two knives being imbedded into his chair, just a few millimeters from his head.

"You want to run that by us again, brat? I'm pretty sure my friend here wanted a dignified response to her request." Megumi glared at the blue-haired boy looking at up at her with wide eyes.

Two more knives impaled Ciel's chair on the other side of his head. "I believe Megumi wanted an answer. Care to give her one?" Almira crossed her arms and gave him a wicked smile as her eyes glowed menacingly.

"How…how dare you?! You are guests in my home," Ciel yelled out in astonishment.

Megumi laughed, "Not of our own volition! Trust me, if we didn't have to be here, we wouldn't be. Like we would really want to spend our spare time catering to the whims of some teenage boy who doesn't know how to treat people."

"Sebastian! Do something!" The demon looked at the boy in his chair and tilted his head slightly.

"And what would you have me do master? You are the one that brought these ladies here, only to insult them. Besides, you're not hurt, are you?"

Ciel was speechless.


	4. Beginnings

**Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading, I'm co-writing this story with a friend of mine but she doesn't have an account on FF so I'll be posting our chapters here. Please review and let us know what you like or dislike about our story, we'd love to hear from you. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji.**

Chapter Four: Beginnings

Megumi was thoroughly pissed off with the boy. She didn't like that he treated a person's painful past with such disdain and selfishness, and merely telling him off and damaging his chair didn't quell her rage. "You know, this is why I hate people. They can never seem to understand the other party's feelings," Megumi began. She rounded the small coffee table and pushcart up to Ciel. At that point, she pulled off one of her gloves—the right hand one. "And this is even more of a reason to hate little brats like you. You think you can just bring us here and walk all over us? Well, little boy, you're dead wrong. Where I'm from, women aren't treated like shit. Now how about you wipe that dirty look off your face, yeah? Or do I have to smack it off for you?" She raised her hand to slap him but, unsurprisingly, Sebastian caught her wrist before she could even begin the swing. "Let go! I'm going to teach this brat a lesson he won't soon forget!"

Sebastian kept that same small smile as he easily held her struggling hand. "I apologize, but I cannot allow you do that. My master has a strict no-touching policy, and I do well to make sure guests comply," he said. He pulled her hand down and looked at both women. "Miss Megumi and Miss Almira, it is getting to be very late and it will rain soon. I am sure my master would not like you to go back home in the dark. Please, stay here for the night; I already have a room with two beds ready for you."

"That is quite alright, you don't have to extend your…_hospitality_ any further," Almira said. She was still bothered by Ciel's remark. "My companion here doesn't seem too thrilled to be staying in the presence of someone such as your master and I can't say that I am either." She glanced at Megumi.

The brunette realized almost too late that she was about to lose her chance and fail her mission! This was the opportunity she needed to get close to Phantomhive and really find out if he was the source of the readings and murders in the future. She couldn't mess this up! "Uh, I'm sorry for my behavior," she said. She couldn't let the chance slip away, and it was her fault that Almira wanted to leave. "We'd be glad to stay. Even if you are a rotten little brat, we are grateful for the room."

"But Megumi—"

Megumi pulled Almira close beside her and covered her mouth, giving the butler a fake smile. "Sebastian, please show us the way!" And he did. As they walked, Megumi uncovered Almira's mouth and kept her eyes forward, trying to avoid the conversation she knew would follow. Almira looked at her with confusion as she whispered, "What's wrong? You made it seem like you didn't want to stay and now you're practically begging for a room? Well either way, we're leaving tomorrow morning. I can't stand being around the little earl."

The shinigami's eyes grew wide with worry. _We can't leave! I have to kill that bastard! I seriously pushed it too far with that rant…but that asswipe deserved it! _"Almira, we're not leaving until we reconcile with Ciel! I understand it was wrong of me to get all upset and you to be slapped in the face with his remarks on your story, but we have to set things right before they get worse!" She was trying her hardest to find some reason to stay.

Sebastian looked back at them while still walking forward. "I believe Miss Megumi has a point, Miss Almira. An attempt at reconciliation might be just the entertainment my master is looking for." He stopped at a white decorated door. "Here we are, ladies. Your room for the night." He opened the door to reveal a midnight blue colored room lavished with two beds that looked like they had an infinite amount of sheets and comforters. Both beds also had a lace canopy and several goose down pillows. "I hope you will join us in the morning for breakfast." Then the demon butler left.

Almira took a seat on one of the beds. Her delicate manner contrasted sharply with Megumi, who had plopped herself in the center of hers. "Megumi, I really don't think we should bother with reconciliation. We're not going to be in prolonged contact with him anyway and he doesn't go out into society so he can't really ruin my reputation if I don't make nice with him."

"Almira, we really have to stay," Megumi softly said from her bed. "Ciel is within my grasp. If we leave, I can't go back home."

"We can figure out something else! I don't want to stay here."

"Fine. We'll leave in the morning." Megumi looked down at the bed, hoping that the demon didn't see the lie in her eyes. The two women didn't talk anymore. Almira remained on her bed, wondering how long it had been since her last nap. Demons didn't need sleep but they did it sometimes out of sheer boredom or as a luxury. Eventually, she decided that a nap wouldn't hurt and lied down – easily floating off into the Land of Dreams.

Megumi waited until she was absolutely sure the demon was asleep before sneaking out of her bed and escaping the manor through the large window. She dropped down to the ground from the ledge. She went into the foliage surrounding the manor where she was going to activate her shinigami abilities. She concentrated on her eyes as she held them shut, and when she opened them, they glowed a bright red that was different from the flashing red color in a demon's eyes. _I only need enough power to fly..._ When Megumi wanted to use her powers to the fullest, she would have to change into her shinigami attire. Those clothes were able to withstand the aura of death and rot; regular clothes such as her dress would tear away. The extent she needed was enough to make her be able to summon her black wings. As they unfurled behind her, she shot through the canopy and into the sky. Under the darkness of the night, she flew back to London.

* * *

The next morning Almira found Megumi curled up like a kitten in the bed across from her. She laughed quietly as she saw the fiery, opinionated girl from yesterday curled up in bed. Almira grabbed her pocket watch from the night stand and realized that it was still quite early, so she decided to explore the manor a bit before everyone else woke up. Without bothering to change out of her nightgown, she crept out of her room and began slowly wandering the halls. She stopped at every painting and observed every piece of finery, curious to see what were considered fashionable house decorations in England at this time. She'd have to extend that same fashion to her manor, if only to keep up appearances during the times she entertained (which were few, far, and in between).

Eventually she made her way to the library. Despite living for so long, books were still one of her favorite ways to pass the time. She gracefully walked along the shelves, her fingertips lightly brushing against the covers of the books as she searched for one to read.

"Miss? You are up quite early. I thought you would take the indulgence of sleep to its fullest extent." Almira smiled softly as she heard the voice of Sebastian behind her.

"Well I simply could not pass up the opportunity to explore such a beautiful manor without any disturbances. But it appears that I did not account for you." The butler laughed and began cleaning the room, as he did every morning at this time.

"It appears not. Is there anything I can assist you with? Dressing perhaps?" Almira looked down and remembered that she had not put on proper attire.

"I'll take care of it later. I'm sure a fellow demon will not scold me about propriety." She gave him a small smirk before sitting down in one of the chairs and watching him work. "I am curious…what made you take such a humiliating contract? Playing butler to a bratty boy who will now live for eternity?"

Sebastian took on a thoughtful look as he started dusting the shelves. "With age, I have discovered that I have a taste for a certain kind of soul. One with a great amount of hatred and pain that gives it a sort of maturity, like fine wine. I saw that potential in Ciel's soul. Despite being the pure soul of a child, his soul had a dark spot of hatred from the moment I met him. Our contract stipulated that I become his butler and his strength so that he could defeat those who had wronged him. As the years went on, my position as his butler allowed me to help that spot of hatred grow until it had taken over most of his soul. I couldn't wait to devour it because its scent called to me so strongly at the point. But then his soul was kept from me by his being turned into a demon by another who was following her contract. An order he gave prior to that put me in this bind. Now I must be his butler for eternity or until he releases me from his contract – which he will never do."

Almira stared at the demon with wide eyes, incredulous that he allowed himself to be put in such a position. "My, my, Sebastian, it appears that your tastes worked against you in this instance. Perhaps instead of fostering his hatred, you could foster the boy's maturity. I'm sure he'll be much easier to deal with if you teach him to be a grown man with some manners." She chuckled lightly before leaning back in the chair and closing her eyes. "I simply avoid this kind of mess by only making contracts with criminals that are quick and easy to deal with."

"That's because you're young. Eventually you'll want a particular type as well. Some demons like certain types of sin, like lust or envy. I happen to enjoy wrath."

The demon huffed and crossed her arms. "Quit acting like I am a child, old man."

Sebastian merely laughed and began stoking the fireplace. "Alright then, I'll change the subject. May I ask a more personal question?"

Almira's face lit up with curiosity. "Of course. Whatever would you wish to ask me Sebastian?"

"Why did you look directly at me when you told your tale earlier? You were adressing my master, no?"

She looked down and sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't mention it." The woman tilted her head back up to him with a contemplative look adorning her features. "I suppose it was because you look like…_him_…and I felt that it would be okay to share those special memories with you rather than that brat."

The butler looked a bit surprised. "Well then, I am honored miss. I know that story was hard for you to tell, despite the fact that my master was so rude about it. Love with a demon is also what brought me into this life, and losing her after giving up my life for her was more difficult than most people can imagine. I couldn't imagine telling my story to Ciel."

Almira smiled sadly and walked over to him, patting his shoulder gently as she crossed her arms and leaned on the back of his chair."Would you mind telling me more of what happened to you and your love? I know you probably haven't told that story to many people and I'd like to be a sympathetic ear."

Sebastian nodded in agreement and took a deep breath, his face and body becoming more stoic. Once he seemed drained of all emotion, he began. "As a human, I lived in the late Jōmon period of Ancient Japan. My people led humble lives but things were rapidly changing as Korean settlers brought new technology to us that we had never seen. Despite advances in metallurgy and farming, my family was known for pottery-making and, as a young man, I was prepared to follow in my ancestors' footsteps. My father taught me the old, traditional ways and traders coming into town showed me the new, modern ways. Eventually, once my father died, I took over the family business and my pottery became known throughout my village due to its blending of the old and new. This is what originally caught Shizuka's eye." The butler's eyes were empty but he gave a sort of half-smile as the memory returned to him. "One day she just walked into my shop, looking like a goddess. Her long, black hair flowed down her back and moved with her as she walked. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity as she looked at each piece I had on display. Her pale skin looked as if the moon had kissed it and left its glow behind. I could barely put a sentence together in my brain, it was so scrambled. After a while, she started asking me about my work. I answered all of her questions, even though I thought it would bore her, but she seemed endlessly interested in my ability to turn a small bit of clay into anything. We talked until the sun set and then she said that she had to leave, but promised to return. She actually did return…every day for a month. I fell more and more in love with her every day as I learned more about her. I would make her small trinkets, like a cherry blossom or dragon, out of clay and present them to her just so I could get that look of pure joy on her face. She would take me out at night and show me the secrets of the land – special herbs and pictures in the stars. Finally, during the last day of the full moon, she told me that she was a demon and told me that I could be with her forever if I allowed her to make me into one. I didn't even hesitate; I didn't care about what I left behind. I wanted her and I said yes immediately. She changed me and took me traveling all over the world, opened my eyes to things outside of my little Japanese village. We were together for about 1000 years before a trip down to hell took a turn for the worst. I left her alone for a minute…but that was just enough time for a group of demons to take away my love, my Shizuka. They were young and stupid and killed her for absolutely no reason. In a rage, I killed every one of them, then tried to focus on becoming stronger so that something like that would never happen again. That's the whole of it, I suppose." Sebastian let out a breath of relief as he finished his tale.

Almira stood stunned at this man's tragedy, her heart aching for him. "Thank you for sharing that with me. I promise to cherish it always." She stood and looked down solemnly at the floor, her hands clasped tightly as she tried to figure out what to say.

As always, the butler pulled himself together for the guest and stood before the lady, giving her a half bow and a light smile. "It was my pleasure, Miss Castal. It was nice to get that all out of my head and off my chest, especially to someone who understands."

The Spaniard smiled and gave a small curtsy. "I am glad to be of service." Almira chose the moment of silence that followed to check her pocket watch and gasped at how late it had gotten. "My friend and your master should be waking up soon." Sebastian pulled out his pocket watch to check the time before nodding in agreement. He was actually quite surprised at how long they had spent talking. Almira started walking toward the door but turned back to address the butler once more. "I am going to go get dressed. Please tell everyone that I won't be down for breakfast and give them my deepest apologies. I think I'm going to stay in my room and do some thinking, perhaps read the newspaper and brush up on human affairs." She gave him a small wink and a brush of her hand on his shoulder before heading out of the library. Sebastian stayed near the fire with a slight grin on his face, a bit of lightness in his dark eyes.

After Almira finished getting dressed in a dark blue gown and tying her hair up with a sapphire and diamond comb, she sat down with the local newspaper – just as she told Sebastian she would. A small gasp escaped her lips as she read the headline: MANOR BURNED TO THE GROUND IN MYSTERIOUS FIRE. The address listed for the manor was her address! "Impossible! There was no one there! I called to dismiss my servants for a few days so there is no possible way anyone could have accidentally caused the fire. Perhaps some lightning …?"

Megumi walked into the room after gorging herself on breakfast and Almira immediately stood in front of her with the article. "Have you heard about this? My manor has been burned to the ground without the slightest indication of how it might have happened!" The shinigami looked at her with wide eyes before grabbing the newspaper.

"Wow, that is incredible. Where will you stay now?" The demon sighed and ran a hand through the loose ends of her hair.

"As much as I hate to say it, I think we shall have to ask the earl for a favor. I apologize that my hospitality toward you has run short." Megumi shook her head slightly.

"Don't worry about it, accidents happen. It wasn't your fault."

Almira nodded and gave a weak smile before heading out the door to go talk to Lord Phantomhive. Before even knocking on the door of his study, Sebastian opened the door for her and let her in.

"What do you want?" The woman suppressed an eye roll.

"My deepest apologies for disturbing you, my lord. It appears that I am in need of your assistance." Almira pulled out the newspaper article and handed it to the demon earl who glanced at it quickly. "It appears that my manor has burned to the ground and I currently have no place to stay while I have it rebuilt. I was hoping that my friend and I could take advantage of your wonderful hospitality for a bit longer."

Ciel laughed and tossed the newspaper on his desk. "You're acting quite humble after your little display yesterday. I'm sure it is killing you." Almira stopped herself from responding that it was indeed killing her to kiss this little brat's ass. "At any rate, I have plenty of rooms and an infinite amount of boredom so you are welcome to stay as long as you need to. I'll have Sebastian organize a new room for your friend since you'll be staying for longer than just one night." The butler nodded and headed off to do just that.

"Thank you Lord Phantomhive, I shall inform my companion right away." Almira left with her hands clenched into fists, reminding herself that it would not be a good idea to punch the kid in the mouth after being allowed to stay.


	5. When Life Gives You Lemons

**Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading, I'm co-writing this story with a friend of mine but she doesn't have an account on FF so I'll be posting our chapters here. Please review and let us know what you like or dislike about our story, we'd love to hear from you. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji.**

Chapter 5: When Life Gives You Lemons

"So he did allow us to stay?" Megumi asked Almira as she walked back into their bedroom. She was brushing out her incredibly long hair with a small brush she happened to find in one of the drawers of the night stands. She looked at the demon through the mirror with her golden brown eyes, a sort of hopeful look in her expression.

Almira nodded. "Unfortunately. He seems to think that we shall be his amusement for the duration of our stay." The shinigami noticed that she said this with a bitter tone of voice. Most likely because the demon wasn't used to requiring the assistance of anyone – especially a bratty kid like Phantomhive.

Megumi, finished with dressing her hair, approached Almira. Her face held a rather serious expression, something the dark haired woman had never seen before. This face was Megumi's way of showing her enemies that she had all intent to kill, and anyone who saw it twice was lucky. "Well we shall just have to rectify that mistaken impression, now won't we?" The demon merely smirked and nodded, her eyes glowing in response to her new mischievous disposition.

After a moment, the shinigami purposefully softened her countenance and looked up at Almira with wide eyes. She looked like a little child again. "Hey, Almira, why don't we have a girls' day?"

"A girls' day?"

"Yeah! We could do each other's hair, talk about guys—girl things."

Almira was taken aback by the proposal as it truly contradicted Megumi's character. "But…you're not the type of girl that likes those things, so why would you—?"

"Because I need a way to gain info on the 'young master'. If I'm just loitering around by myself, I'd get caught and possibly torn to itty-bitty shreds by Sebastian…maybe even Ciel. You wouldn't want that to happen to your friend, right?"

"I suppose not. But this seems like a completely ridiculous idea."

"Don't worry, it'll be fun. Now let's go out to the courtyard!" Megumi took Almira's hand and dragged her around inside the mansion until the former admitted she had no idea how to get to the courtyard. "These giant houses are like a goddamn maze! Why would anyone want to buy one of these godforsaken places?!"

"Because they have a lot of money and little idea to do with it. Why don't we ask Sebastian? I'm sure he wouldn't mind showing us," Almira suggested. She pulled her hand from Megumi to go find Sebastian, leaving the girl by herself in the middle of the hall.

Megumi tapped her foot impatiently. It doesn't take someone at least twenty minutes to find a seemingly omniscient butler. Then again, this labyrinth of a manor wasn't to be underestimated. It was as if it had a mind of its own, constantly shifting form to forever imprison the shinigami like it knew she was there to kill. Or perhaps Megumi had seen one too many movies. "Almira, come on. We've got to get some progress today." She was still standing there when she heard a voice call her name. "Goro?"

Activating her shinigami eyes, Megumi scanned the surfaces of the hall. In the window, she found the toothy hat grinning at her. "Megumi, come over here! Got a message for ya!" Goro laughed. It always made her wonder what he found so funny.

"What is it, you abomination of a hat?"

"Turns out there's a time limit! A time limit!" he laughed.

Megumi's eyes widened. "Time limit? Why would there be a time limit? I usually complete my assignments quick enough for the department."

"You have until January 1st of 1890! 1890!"

"That's a few months from now…that's a pretty generous time limit. You had me all worried!"

"You're an idiot, aren't you! Aren't you! This mission has a major hindrance. His name is Sebastian. That bastard is in the way. In the way!"

"Give me a break. I've dealt with hundreds of abominations—the living dead and demons. I can take him on."

Goro stopped laughing and only smirked. "You're going to eat those words, you fool."

"Please. Now get lost before I get caught." She deactivated her shinigami eyes just as Goro's laughter disappeared. It was just in time, too. Sebastian and Almira were walking down the hall. "It took you long enough! Jesus!"

"I'd like to see you try it!" Almira retorted with a slight glare as she crossed her arms.

Sebastian chuckled at the bickering women as he escorted them to the large courtyard. The garden was something that Megumi had only seen in pictures. A massive fountain was in the center, surrounded by a radial sidewalk of conglomerate stone. The sidewalk was lined with luscious greenery—the finest bushes that money could afford, though they weren't cut into fantastical shapes. The bushes were dotted with white roses in full bloom; not a single one was wilting. They were also the only flowers in the courtyard. Somehow, the lack of other flowers beside the white roses reflected Ciel, but Megumi just couldn't figure out why that was.

"I would oblige you to not touch the roses. It's quite a difficult job when you are the sole person maintaining them all," Sebastian sighed.

He left the two women to entertain themselves, which was exactly what the shinigami had wanted. When she was sure the butler had left, she once again activated her eyes. "Almira, keep an eye out for me," she quietly ordered as she began scanning the estate for her target. He had to be around here somewhere…

"When did I become your servant?" Almira grumbled, turning her back to the shinigami and searching for any signs of movement.

"Really, we're going to talk about that now? Listen, I'll pay you back somehow, just help me out."

"And how do you intend to pay me back? By giving me your soul? That seems a bit dramatic."

"I'll think of something. Just make sure Sebastian isn't anywhere around." She focused her eyes on Ciel's observatory. The shinigami eyes, which turned red upon activation, could see one hundred times farther than human eyes. The image was clearer, and a shinigami's peripheral vision was at least five times wider than a human's. The only thing that would hinder the brunette from spying on Ciel would be a cloak of darkness. "Does he really stay in that room all day? Heh, easy pickings then."

"Is there something you need to ask my master?" Sebastian asked behind Megumi.

_What the hell?! Almira was supposed to keep watch!_

Almira was indeed keeping watch, and the question wasn't directed at Megumi but her. She was smiling, for once, and she had a light blush on her cheeks. Why? What was she so embarrassed about?

Megumi was too scared to exhale the breath she was holding. She stood still, pretending to be looking into the bush's branches at a ladybug. She just had to pretend. "O-Oh no, I lost it!" she said. She feigned her disappointment. "I lost the weird ladybug! Almira, you were supposed to keep an eye on it, too!"

When Megumi turned around, she found that she was utterly alone in the courtyard. Almira and Sebastian had returned to the library, leaving her all alone. _Well, I suppose keeping him occupied will work, too. This way I can still keep an eye on Ciel._

* * *

"You honestly have it? The original French version?" Almira asked Sebastian with wide, excited eyes that haven't appeared on her face in years.

The demon smiled down at her as they approached the library. "Why of course. It is a fantastically written novel and we like to carry only the finest in the Phantomhive library." Almira clapped her gloved hands quietly in delight as she sat down in the same chair as earlier that morning, eagerly awaiting the promised book.

Sebastian didn't disappoint as he reached to one of the upper shelves and pulled out a beautifully bound volume with the words _Le Comte de Monte-Cristo de Alexander Dumas_ etched in gold lettering across the top. He bowed slightly as the handed it to the woman and watched with mild amusement as she opened the book and grazed the pages with her fingertips. "The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favorites. You know I bought all eighteen parts published in the Journal des Débats back in '44? I was addicted. I suppose a demon would be attracted to a tale of revenge just as a woman would be attracted to a happy ending for two lovers." Almira smiled ruefully down at the book before looking up at the butler standing quietly in front of her. "Why don't you sit Sebastian, relax a bit?" She'd tell Megumi later that this was all to help the mission, a distraction of Phantomhive's main chess piece, though that wasn't her main motivation at the moment. She merely enjoyed the butler's company.

The demon checked his pocket watch and apparently decided that he had enough time to spare since he took a seat next to her. "You know, I do not know much of Spanish culture these days since I tend to avoid that area. I think the last time I was there was during the reign of the first Ferdinand around 1400. Are there any Spanish novels I should add to my master's collection? You seem to be an avid reader." Almira thought for a moment, and remembered a book Jaime used to read to her in her family's garden during quiet nights with plenty of light from the full moon.

"I suppose Don Quijote would be a nice addition to your library here. It was written and published in the 1600s and is quite the tale, though your master may find it strange and childish. I've always loved it, though the reader could have been at fault for that." Sebastian's eyes darkened slightly as he remembered Almira's words about her lost love before shaking off his emotions and returning to his stoic disposition. The woman noticed this reaction and realized that Sebastian seemed affected by the mention of her past.

"¿_Estás bien_, Sebastian? You seemed a bit unsettled for a moment."

"I was just wondering…did your lover – Jaime was it? – did he read that book to you?" Almira nodded and stood, wandering to the window and looking outside. Sebastian sighed and crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair as images of his love's dead body and empty eyes flashed before his eyelids. His hands clenched as he remembered how happy she was right before she was taken from him and slaughtered before his eyes while he stood helpless. Rage and despair at his past failure to protect her rose in him until a soft hand rested on his shoulder. With a small hitch of breath, he looked up to see Almira's sapphire blue eyes staring down at him with concern.

"_Ya_. You have suffered enough. Do not dwell on the past, it is done." The butler blinked in surprise before nodding and gaining his composure. He stood and straightened his uniform, regaining his cool and collected persona – much to the Spaniard's surprise.

"Thank you miss, you've been quite helpful. I shall take my leave of you now since I must begin dinner preparations." Sebastian bowed and walked out, leaving Almira to wonder exactly what just happened. At that same moment, Megumi burst into the room.

"Well done Almira, you kept him distracted for quite a while. I got some good surveillance time in. It seems like he's been feeling restless, he keeps pacing around his observatory and staring out the windows. The thing is, he doesn't act like this around Sebastian – you've seen that much. I think he's hiding something or is about to do something that he doesn't want his butler to know about." The shinigami collapsed into one of the seats as she continued going over the information she gathered.

"Okay, that's interesting and all, but what does that have to do with these demonic readings you were getting from the future?" Almira questioned curiously as she sat across from Megumi.

"I don't quite know yet. I'm going to need to gather more information, maybe follow him for a while." Megumi shrugged and leaned back.

The two continued sitting there until Sebastian returned to announce that dinner had been served. All four of the manor's residents gathered at the table, though only one was actually eating dinner. Sebastian placed the plate in front of Megumi and began describing her meal. "Tonight we present lamb chops with a balsamic reduction, broiled vegetables, and white rice for dinner. For dessert, there will be white chocolate cheesecake with a white chocolate brandy sauce and a raspberry topping. I hope you enjoy it."

Almira chuckled as the girl's mouth seemed to water just looking at the dish. The demon then turned to the little earl. "So, Ciel, I'm curious. What do you do now that you no longer have revenge to seek? How do you occupy your time?"

The boy scoffed before deigning to reply in a bored tone,"I mostly read and continue lessons with Sebastian. I like to challenge myself by learning new things, especially in areas where I am lacking. I also supervise the Funtom Toy Company from afar under an alias."

Megumi raised an eyebrow at the last sentence. "You still run the company? But why?"

Ciel sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's the one thing my parents left behind besides the position of being the Queen's guarddog. Since I can't do the latter in my new state, I figured that I might as well keep the former from becoming a complete laughingstock."

The solemn look on the boy's face left both women stunned.


	6. Contract

**Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading, I'm co-writing this story with a friend of mine but she doesn't have an account on FF so I'll be posting our chapters here. Please review and let us know what you like or dislike about our story, we'd love to hear from you. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji.**

Chapter 6: Contract

Megumi didn't know whether to be surprised that the young demon boy was still worried about his family reputation or suspicious. His parents had been dead for so long, and based on the reports she had read once long ago about the Funtom Toy Company, he had been caring on the company's name. _Thanks to being recently turned into a demon, though, was it really necessary? It wouldn't be that strartling if such a huge corporation were to fail, would it? _ Who was she kidding? The minute Funtom Toy Company starts losing money would be the the minute Armageddon begins. But that's beside the point. The point was this child was hiding something deep within himself, and if she wanted to get her job finished, she would have to know him inside and out. She knew, however, that asking about it in front of Almira and Sebastian would get her nowhere. She would have to sneak into his room—if even possible—and confront him about it along with a couple other issues.

Megumi, who had been so adamant about eating, lost her appetite to her thoughts. "Is something wrong with your meal, Miss Megumi?" Sebastian asked with a small frown.

"Huh? Oh, no! I-I was just doing some thinking about…which I should eat first. Everything looks incredibly awesome! I didn't mean to make you nervous about your cooking!" Megumi sheepishly chuckled. They didn't read her thoughts, did they? Well, the demon butler did ask if something was wrong with the food, so that itself was evidence that they didn't. She quickly reached for her fork and shoveled her food down her throat. It was rather grotesque, but the fact that staring off into space being possibly viewed as suspicious had to be replaced by her odd stress-induced eating habits.

The rest of the meal was silent. There was nothing to talk about yet again since Ciel had already answered the only question and any further discussion would endanger Megumi's plan. Soon afterwards Almira, upon Sebastian's kind refusal for her help in cleaning up the dining hall, retired to her room to enjoy the book she had found in the library thanks to the butler. Ciel returned to his observatory to stew in his own thoughts. Megumi was left alone, and she had to keep an eye on Sebastian. She had to tail the little earl as stealthily as possible. "Miss Megumi, I couldn't help but notice that you've been acting strangely since this afternoon. Is something not to your liking?" the black-clad butler inquired.

"It's nothing, really! Just thinking about some things lately!" She turned and stiffly walked to the door. "I'll just get out of your hair now! Bye!" And she bolted through the door into the hallway. There she was safe from Sebastian; he wasn't inclined to really check up on her, so she could move freely behind Ciel. _But first things first—where was the observatory? Don't tell me I'm going to have to ask Sebastian. No, I will do this methodically. Just scan the building with my eyes! Ah, I'm so smart!_ So she put some distance between herself and the dining hall holding the only obstacle in her mission before activated her eyes.

Everything at once came into a sharper focus, and the auras from Almira, Sebastian and Ciel were visible. The third's aura was the waypoint to the observatory. She snuck up to the target area. She wasn't planning on outright attacking him yet—there was still too much danger in terms of Sebastian lurking about—and she still had business to settle with him. On top of that, she really wanted to give him a good punch in the face for being so rude on several accounts. When she opened the door, she became peeved that it was really just his residual aura from ealier today. He wasn't in the room or even in the mansion. It was just Sebastian and Almira. "Just fucking great. Where is that little bastard?" she whispered angrily.

It actually turned out that Ciel had decided to go find some sort of entertainment in the form of a contract with a human. He had been bored, and the entertainment provided by Megumi and Almira was more stressful than anything else. He had gone to town after debating the idea of going alone for a good twelve minutes and preparing mentally for the fifteen-mile walk.

The journey was a grueling one. Beasts of all sizes eyed the young demon master from the bushes and trees. The tree roots were poised on the ground, ready to snap up his legs. The indomitable Wind God beat him repeatedly all over his body despite having the cloak. The dirt tried all ways to slow him down. But eventually, Ciel did make it to London…just before it began raining. The rain was sudden and freezing, and he could only curse his terrible luck.

Ciel plodded through the streets filled with drunk men and scantily-clad old whores. Then he heard a pleading voice by the pub, begging for a passersby to just listen to his frantic request. He was intrigued, so he did as he was asked. "Please, someone! Please! Help me save my little sister! She's—those bad men have got her. They're going to ship her away to Leicester; they're going to prostitute her on the streets! Please, someone, help!" the voice cried. It belonged to a young man of about fourteen years of age.

"I've got nothing better to do." Demon Lord Phantomhive shrugged and accosted the beggar. "Your little sister needs help? I do believe I can do something about that."

The beggar's eyes welled with big tears. "Finally! Thank you, Lord Jesus! Yes, my little sister Lillabeth has been taken by paedophiles. They're going to ship her away. Who knows what unspeakable things they'll do to her!"

Ciel flashed him the trademark fake smile and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come with me into the alley and we shall discuss this." The two went between the pub and another building. Thanks to the darkness of night and the rainclouds overhead, Ciel was able to try out something he had been waiting to do—make a contract with some foolish human. "What is your name?"

"Frederick. Frederick Hallingway."

"Alright, Frederick. I will get your little sister back…on one condition."

"What would that be? I'm willing to do anything! Kiss your toes, grovel on the very ground you walk, drink myself to death!"

"Calm down, calm down. I merely want your soul in exchange for saving your little sister." His eyes flashed red, thankfully shrouded in the darkness.

"My soul?" Frederick wasn't alarmed but rather mystified. It was a very strange request coming from someone as elegant-looking and prominent as Ciel.

"Yes, your very essence of life. If your pledge to me your soul, I will get your sister back. But be warned, those who reject the faith, even if only once, will be barred from the gates of heaven for eternity. Have we got a deal?"

Frederick was confused. What person asked for a soul? But he said he would do anything. "Alright."

"Excellent. We shall make a contract, and by this contract, I will save your sister." Ciel placed his hand over Frederick's eye—just as Sebastian had done so long ago—and the seal of their contract emerged. It had the vague resemblance of a white rose. "We now have our contract."

Of course, after really thinking about it, Megumi was able to discern that her target had gone somewhere with a lot of people. The demons of this time were just as predictable as her own time, and she knew that Ciel would sooner or later go to find a soul to feast on. Unlike the little earl though, she could fly to the city of London in a few minutes as opposed to walking most of the night away on some muddy, animal-infested trail. Using the same extent of her power as when she had gone back to the city the first time, she flew after him, landing on a the roof of the cathedral with the moon framing her in a circle of pale silver. From her perch she scanned the streets and alleys for his aura. Then she noticed the young man that was begging for someone to help him walk out of the pub's alleyway. An almost negligable surge of power surged through her; she could feel the power of Ciel's contract. "This kid must be an idiot. He didn't even bother to disguise it." She made her wings disappear in a mass of black feathers that disintegrated into what looked like soot before leaping down into the cathedral's lonely little cementery behind it. When she emerged from its shadow, she dashed over to the alley she had seen the boy come from. She found Ciel still standing there appearing to be somewhat distressed about something—probably his new contract. "So this is where you went, you little brat," she spoke behind him.

"What the—Why in blazes are you here?" Ciel interrogated with an irritated glare.

"Sebastian sent me to find you since he was too busy with cleaning up the entire mansion for the night." _This lie would hold, right?_

"Oh, come off it. Sebastian would come for me himself. It's his job—his contract." _The level of snobbery he is outputting seems to be much more than usual…or is that even possible?_ He was anxious about something, but more than likely he would say nothing on the matter unless the shinigami pried it out of him; however, after a few short minutes of standing in front of her in awkward silence aside from the rain pitter-pattering on the surfaces of everything in the city, he surrendered to his dilemma. "Megumi—that is your name, correct?—I…I'm in need of your assistance," he asked begrudgingly.

Megumi widened her eyes nonchalantly and crossed her arms while slowly pacing around. "You want my help? And why the hell should I help you? After all, you treated Almira's love story like a piece of shit, so who's to say you won't treat me worse? Answer me that."

"You're bringing her up again? We have more important matters!"

"Do you see this face?" She pointed to herself holding an unamused expression. "This is my 'not-giving-a-fuck' face. You just made a contract with someone, I know. I saw it in his eye. You didn't even bother to give him something to hide it."

"I don't carry around a random eye patch with me everywhere I go."

"Anyway, I'm waiting for a reason to help you. Because from how you've been behaving so far, you aren't even worth these words."

Ciel clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "Why are you still on about that?!"

"Because I simply don't give a shit for people who treat my friends like scum. How many times do I have to say it? You embarrassed her in front of Sebastian after she explained the reason for her foolishness to you. You degraded her in front of another demon; and don't even try to pull the whole 'I'm a demon as well' thing because you only became one just a few months ago. Almira and Sebastian have been through much more than you, Ciel, so you don't have the authority to say what you did."

"Have you forgotten who I am? I am Earl Ciel Phantomhive of the Funtom Toy Company!"

"No, you aren't. You're just a sad little boy playing under the façade of a rich family name. You never had anything in life, and you certainly don't have anything now. Now, you want my help? Then prove that you're worthy of it. I'll show you just how you are to everyone around you." She pulled out her scythe from her chest. She didn't have the intention to kill him then and there; she wanted to teach him a lesson in respect. The scythe was more of a symbol of her authority over him. "You want to continue existing for a little while longer? Then get on your hands and knees and kiss my shoes."

"I refuse!" She instantly put the scythe to his neck so that his chin could rest on it. She was done talking. It would only take one quick slice of her death-bringing weapon to complete her mission. Ciel, for the first time in a long time, was beginning to feel fear developing in the pit of his stomach. He got on his hands and knees, lowered his head, and kissed the tips of her black Mary-Jane shoes. "Are you happy now? That I've lowered myself to such a level? I can't even carry out this contract on my own. I couldn't stand having to show this much weakness to Sebastian and have him help me with something that even the most common of demons can do. That's why I've deigned to ask for your help."

Megumi scoffed and pulled him up by the collar of his shirt. "I'm not finished with you. This little display of inferiority was instant gratification, but I'm looking for some long-term gratification as well. I will help you only if you help me hook Sebastian up with Almira."

Ciel was now annoyed. "What kind of request is that?!"

"Shut up. I'm the one calling the shots here. That is my one and only condition. You don't like it, then too bad. I'm going to make you remedy your little mistake in ridiculing her."

Ciel averted his gaze, resenting that he had been collared by her. He didn't have a choice—it was a take-it-or-leave-it scenario. He stood up from the ground, look of defeat staining his face. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Good. Now," Megumi became as cheery as ever (since she had gotten what she wanted), "What do you need?"

"I need your help saving someone's little sister."

* * *

Almira looked up from her book as her clairvoyant abilities informed her that two members of the household were currently missing. Of course, the moment she realized that, Sebastian knocked on her door and requested entrance into her chambers. "You may come in Sebastian."

The butler entered and gave a small bow before approaching the woman. "Sorry to disturb you but it appears that your companion, as well as my master, have run off unattended. I am a bit concerned about what kind of mischief they can get into when they are together. Would you mind accompanying me to town to investigate?" The Spaniard sighed and closed her book, placing it on the end table before standing and brushing off her dress.

"Yes, I just sensed their departure. I suppose I'll go with you considering that Megumi is more my responsibility than yours. Lead the way." With that, the two demons ran high speed out of the manor and into town, searching for the missing boy and girl.


End file.
